Combined cigarette case and lighter



July 6, 1937. l. FLORMAN COMBINED CIGARETTE CASE AND LIGHTER Filed Aug. 28, 1936 10 e Ir ving ,Flor/1mm Patented July 6, 1937 UNITED STATE ATENT OFFICE l5 Claims.

My invention relates to a combined cigarette case and lighter, and particularly to a device of this nature in which the cigarette case and lighter are interconnected in a special manner.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a cigarette case having a lighter so mounted therein that the opening of the cigarette case ejects the lighter into a position where it may be operated to light a cigarette or the like. More especially the arrangement is such that the cigarette case may be closed while leaving the lighter in ejected position, after which the lighter is manually returned to its position within the case. In the preferred form of the invention the lighter is practically flush with the case when in its retracted position.

According to still another feature of this invention, the lighter is movable manually out of the case without the opening of the case, so that it may be used for other purposes than the lighting of a cigarette taken from the case.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective construction for accomplishing the above result.

Further objects and advantages will appear more fully from the following description particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which forms a part thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the cigarette case closed with the lighter in ejected, operated position.

Fig. 2 is an end View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cigarette case With the lighter closed and in retracted position.

Figs. 5 and 7 are cross sections on the lines 5--5 and 1 1 respectively of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a bottom View of the cigarette case.

The cigarette case proper is formed of a front section 2 and a rear section 4. These two sections together form a substantially rectangular boX, of considerable length, of a height substantially equal to the lengthV of a cigarette and of a thickness suitable to hold a cigarette. The two sections are hinged together along their top edges as at 6, and may be held in closed position by a catch 8 of any suitable construction, such as a spring catch.

In one end of the rear section Il is arranged a channel-shaped element Ill of sheet metal, extending across the Whole height ofthe case, and of substantially the same thickness as the thick- (Cl. 20G-41.4)

ness of the case. This member l) thus forms at one end of the case a vertical channel or guide space. The top Walls of the sections 2 and l are cut away at the top of the channel, while at the bottom a large hole I2 and a small hole lll are formed in the casing wall.

A cigarette lighter is mounted for vertical sliding movement within the channel formed by the member lll. This lighter may be, for example, of the type shown in my Patent No. 2,014,320, and its details form no part of the present invention. It will be sufficient to state that the lighter includes a body portion or fuel chamber It, which fits within the member lil, a cover i8 pivoted at 2t on the top of the fuel container, a snuffer member 22, a flint Wheel 24 and a wick 26. The flint wheel engages a flint which is mounted in the upper end of a tube 2l extending downwardly through the fuel chamber and which encloses a spring 2d for holding the flint in engagement with the flint wheel 24. This flint tube is closed at its lower end by a plug 48. Upon the raising of the cover I8, a spring is placed under tension between the cover and the snuifer. When the cover approaches its open position, the snuffer, which has heretofore been held in depressed position, is released and raised by the spring. The upward movement of the snufer turns the flint wheel to ignite the Wick.

As has been stated, the fuel container or body of the lighter is slidable in the channel l. In order to move the lighter upwardly when the cigarette case is open, I provide in the inner wall of the channel l0 a vertical slot 28. A screw 30 fits in this slot and is threaded into the side wall of the fuel container i6. The wall of the channel l@ is also provided with a slit 32 which communicates with the slot 28 and forms a thin narrow tongue 34 which is bent slightly into the slot 28. This member 36 acts as a resilient holding member, which will hold the lighter in raised position until suiiicient force is supplied to overcome the resilient pressure of the tongue, whereupon the lighter may again move downwardly to its depressed position.

Within the cover member 2 and adjacent the wall of the channel lil is arranged a plate 36. This plate supports a pin 38 on which is pivoted a lever i, the lower end 42 of which is formed as a hook which extends beneath the screw 30. A coil spring M passing around the pin 38 and engaging the wall of the casing and the lever urges the lever in the direction of the screw 30, so as to keep the lever normally engaged with this screw.

In the bottom of the fuel container I6 therev are provided two plugs. The plug d6 which is opposite the hole l2 serves for the filling of the container i5, while the plug 48 opposite hole I4 permits the removal and replacement of the flint which engages the wheel 2li.

It will be evident that while upward movement of the hook Il@ will necessarily move the cigarette lighter upward,'nevertheless the lighter can move upward alone with the movement of the hook. In order to permit such manual movement of the lighter, the cover i8 is provided at its sides with extensions or kiianges 56 by which the lighter may be lifted upward manually into an operative position.

The operation of the device is as follows: When a cigarette is to be removed from the case, the case is opened. The movement of the section 2 away from the section obviously exerts a pull Von the lever te, tending to move it upward (Fig.

4). Thisupward movement through the screw 30 forces the cigarette lighter upward into the position shown in Fig. 1, the cover however being Closed. The lighter is held in this raised position by the spring tongue 3d. The cigarette case may now be closed, the lever d@ during such closing movement sliding downwardly to its Vinitial position but leaving the lighter in raised position. The user now pushes over the cover rI8 with his thumb, and the wick is ignited so that the cigarette may be lit.

When the lighter is no longer needed, the cover is closed and ,aY downward pressure will be sulcient to overcome the spring action of the member 34 and restore the lighter to its position withinY the case where its top edge is iiush with the top edge of thercase. Y

Obviously if the lighter is to be used alone it may be lifted manually and operated, after which it is pushed back down into position. u

While I have described herein some embodiments of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself thereby except within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1,. In a cigarette lighter a casing comprising two sections, means pivotally connecting said sections together, a channel-shaped member mounted in the end of one of said sections and extending in a direction perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the connecting means, a cigarette lighter slidablykmounted in said channel-shaped member, and means operable upon pivotal opening movement between said sections to move said cigarette lighter into a position for use.

2. In a cigarette lighter a casing comprising two sections, means pivotally'connecting saidsections together, a channel-shaped member mounted in the end of oneof said sections and extending in a direction perpendicular to the pivotal axis of the connecting means, a cigarette lighter slidably mounted in said channel-shaped member and having its top :surface substantially ush with the surface adjacent the pivotal axis of the sections, and means operable upon pivotal opening movement between said sections to move said cigarette lighter into a position for use.

3. In a combined cigarette case and lighter, a

cigarette case, a cigarette lighter mounted in said whereby uponopening of the caseV said lever is raised and lifts the cigarette lighter into a posi- Y tion for use.l Y

` 4. In a combined cigarette case and lighter, a

' cigarette case formed of two relatively movable sections, a guide member vertically mounted in one end of one of said sections, a cigarette lighter mounted in said guide member for sliding movement with respect thereto, a pin fixed in the wall of said cigarette lighter, a lever pivoted to the other section, said lever having a hooked end engaging beneath said pin, whereby upon opening movement between said sections said lever is raised and lifts the cigarette lighter intoY a position for use.

5. In a combined cigarette case and lighter, a cigarette case formed of two pivotally'connected sections, a guide member vertically mounted in one end of one of said sections, a vertical slot in the inner wall of said guide member, a cigarette lighter mounted in said guide shaped member for sliding movement with respect thereto, a pin extending through said slot and xed in the wall of saidV cigarette lighter, and a lever pivoted to the other section adjacent the pivotal axis between the sections, said lever having a hooked end engaging beneath said screw, whereby uponV swinging of the second section away from' the rst section said lever is raised and lifts the cigarette lighter into a position for use. 6. In a combined cigarette case and lighter, a cigarette case formed of two pivotally connected sections, a channel-shaped member verticali mounted in one end of one of said sections, a vertical slot in the inner wall of said channel-shaped Y member, a cigarette lighter mounted in said channel-shaped member for sliding movement with respect thereto, a screw extending through said Yslot and threaded in the wall of said cigan rette lighter,a lever pivoted to the other section adjacent the pivotal axis between-the sections, said lever having a hooked end engaging beneath said screw, and spring means normally urgingV said lever in the direction of said screw, whereby upon swinging of the second section away from the rst section said lever is raised and lifts the cigarette lighter into a positionV for use.

7. In a combined cigarette case and lighter, a cigarette case formed of two sectionshaving opposite side walls and end, top, and bottom walls meeting along a dividingiline, a channel-shaped member vertically mounted in one end ofone of said sections, Va vertical slot inthe inner-wall Yof said channel-shaped member, Va manually operable cigarette lighter mounted in said channelshaped member for sliding movement with respect thereto Yand having itstop flush with the i top wall of the casing, a screw extending throughVV prising a casing having a body portion provided Y with a space therein for holding cigarettes, fa cover movably mounted on said'body portion for closing said space, a cigarette lighter, operating means for said lighter independent of said'cover,

means mounting said cigarette lighterwithinthe i casing for movement from an inoperable position within the casing to an operable position in which at least said operating means is outside the casingwhen Vthe cover,v is closed, said lighter having' a fuel chamber, a wick and igniting means therefor comprising a flint wheel and flint, a iiint tube in said lighter for holding said flint, means for holding the flint in said tube, said holding means including a member closing the end of said tube, said casing having an opening therein opposite and adjacent to said closing member when the lighter is in inoperable position within the casing, said member moving away from said opening as the lighter is moved to operable position.

9. In a combined cigarette case and lighter, a cigarette case having relatively movable casing sections, a lighter movably carried by one of said sections and normally inaccessible for operation when said sections are closed, and means operatively connected to the other section and to the lighter and operated directly and positively by relative opening movement between the sections to move said lighter into an operable position at least partially outside the case.

10. In a combined cigarette case and lighter, a cigarette case having relatively movable casing sections, a lighter slidably mounted in one of said sections and normally inaccessible for operation when said sections are closed, and means pivoted to the other section and operatively connected to the lighter and operated directly and positively by relative opening movement between the sections to move said lighter into an operable position at least partially outside the first section.

11. In a combined utility device adapted to be carried on the person, a casing having relatively movable sections, an element slidably guided by one of said casing sections, and a one-way direct and positive connection between the other of said casing sections and said element whereby upon relative opening movement between the sections of the casing to slide said element into a position at least partially outside the case and available for use, said connection being inoperable on the slidable element when the casing sections are relatively moved to closed position, whereby said slidable element may remain in ejected position.

12. In a combined utility device adapted to be carried on the person, a casing having relatively movable sections, an element slidably guided by one of said casing sections, and a one-way direct and positive connection between the other of said casing sections and said element whereby upon relative opening movement between the sections of the casing to slide said element into a position at least partially outside the case and available for use, said connection being inoperable on the slidable element when the casing sections are relatively moved to closed position, whereby said slidable element may remain in ejected position, and resilient means for holding said slidable element in ejected position.

13. In a combined cigarette case and lighter, a cigarette case having relatively movable casing sections, a lighter movably carried by one of said sections and normally inaccessible for operation when said sections are closed, and means operatively connected to the other section and to the lighter and operated directly and positively by relative opening movement between the sections to move said lighter into an operable position at least partially outside the case, said lighter being movable independently of said last means, whereby the lighter may be moved manually into operable position without opening the casing sections.

14. A combined cigarette case and lighter having front, rear, tcp, bottom and end walls, said case including casing sections hinged together adjacent said top wall, and a lighter carried by one of said sections adjacent one of said end walls, means mounting said lighter for sliding movement with respect to said section in a direction perpendicular to the axis of said hinge, said lighter having a cover normally ush with said top wall whereby the lighter is inaccessible for operation when said sections are closed, and means operatively connected to the other section and to the lighter and operated directly and positively by relative opening movement between the sections to move said lighter into an operable position at least partially outside the rst section.

15. In a device as claimed in claim 14, said cover being pivoted on said lighter to turn about an axis perpendicular to the axis of said hinge, said lighter having igniting means, and means operatively connecting said cover to said igniting means to operate the same when the cover is turned, said lighter moving means moving the lighter to a position where the pivot of said cover is substantially in the plane of said top wall whereby when said cover is turned it strikes the top wall and its movement is limited thereby.

IRVING FLORE/IAN. 

